Cross-border collaboration for wildfire prevention

Alt Pirineu Natural Park will introduce a fire prevention plan as part of a cross-border initiative with Andorra and the French department of Ariège, according a report by La Vanguardia.

The initiative is part of the POCTEFA programme and marks the first such project within the Three Nations Pyrenean Park.

Fire simulations will be conducted to identify key areas for fire containment.

Prevention zones exceeding 25 metres will also be created around populated areas to reduce risks.

Forest management efforts involving students

Students from the Pyrenees Agricultural School have conducted forest management work in Pallerols de Cantó, Montferrer, and Castellbò in Alt Urgell.

Their objective is to develop a manual of good practices for fire prevention.

The students worked with mechanical tools, such as brush cutters and saws, to clear vegetation in former agricultural and pasture lands.

The plan includes introducing livestock to these areas to maintain clear spaces naturally.

The project involved collaboration with the Ariège Comenge Vocational Training and Agricultural Promotion Centre, which has carried out similar activities for over a decade.

Strategic fire prevention measures

Marc Garriga, director of Alt Pirineu Natural Park, stated that climate change is increasing the risk of wildfires, even in areas previously considered low-risk.

He said: “The most important thing is to protect populated areas, as the mountains are already undergoing their regeneration processes.”

The “Desbosiguem!” project, part of the POCTEFA programme, focuses on restoring former agricultural and pasture areas near villages that have been abandoned over time.

Garriga noted that while the law mandates a 25-metre prevention zone around inhabited areas, wider buffer zones may be needed in the event of large-scale fires.

Future strategic fire prevention plan

The Pau Costa Foundation is set to draft a strategic fire prevention plan for all municipalities within the Alt Pirineu Natural Park.

The plan will assess optimal buffer zone sizes to enhance wildfire containment strategies.

As part of the initiative, former farmland and grazing areas are being considered for clearing to create firebreaks.

The aim is to establish long-term land management strategies that balance fire prevention with ecological conservation.

Fire prevention plan introduced in Alt Pirineu Natural Park under cross-border initiative: Summary

Alt Pirineu Natural Park will implement a fire prevention plan under the POCTEFA programme in collaboration with Andorra and the French department of Ariège.

The initiative involves fire simulations and prevention zones around populated areas.

Students from the Pyrenees Agricultural School have carried out forest management work in Alt Urgell, aiming to develop a manual of good practices.

The project also includes collaboration with a French vocational training centre.

The “Desbosiguem!” project focuses on restoring former agricultural and pasture lands to create firebreaks.

The Pau Costa Foundation will draft a strategic fire prevention plan for the park’s municipalities, assessing optimal buffer zone sizes.

The initiative aims to improve wildfire containment and long-term land management strategies.